1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to means for preparing beverages. More particularly, it relates to infusion bags for preparing coffee and tea, which bags may be conveniently supported by the rim of a cup, and suspended therein.
2. Background Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,118, Rambold, discloses a beverage infusion filter bag stapled to a folded strip of non-porous sheet material. The folded strip has two side portions on opposite sides of the filter bag which may be folded back upon themselves and secured together by complimentary slits in the side portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,997, Syroka et al., discloses a beverage infusion bag free of direct attachments which is clipped to the rim and side wall of a cup by an arched clip.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,101, Kataoka, discloses a beverage filter assembly with a generally rectangular support plate having an intermediate portion and a pair of support legs connected to opposite ends of the intermediate portion. The support legs have feet such that, when the support legs are folded vertically downward relative to the intermediate portion, the feet are engageable with the upper edge of a beverage container for supporting the whole assembly in a raised position above the container for use as a filter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,956, Christie, discloses a tea bag with a 2-leave cover. The bag is stapled to one leaf below the fold line so that leaf will support the bag on the rim of the cup with a wedging action. The other leaf is folded back away from the bag which is cantilevered within the cup and exposed for contact with the water poured into the cup.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,555, Schwartz, et al., discloses an infusion device comprising a porous bag with a stirring and hanging unit partially located within the bag, and partially protruding from the bag. The stirring and hanging unit is rigid or partially rigid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,601, Serbu, discloses a coffee brewing device which comprises an elongated filter bag attached at one of its side edges to a bag support element which hooks over the rim of a cup at the element's top end. At the element's bottom end is an unattached carved portion which fits down into and rests on the bottom of the cup and which supports the top of the filter bag above the rim of the cup.
Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication No. 50-39822, Mori, and PCT Publication No. WO 91/10390, Kaisha, disclose beverage filter bags with a reinforcing paper layer superimposed on the outside upper portion of the bags. The reinforcing paper has cut-out tabs which act as supporting members when folded out away from the filter bags for engaging with the upper edge of a beverage container for suspending the bags within the beverage container.
So, there have been attempts in the beverage infusion art to provide a convenient and effective filter bag for preparing coffee and tea. Also, there have been attempts in the art to provide a bag which is securely fastened to the rim of the cup for contact with the water poured into the cup, and which is efficiently suspended inside the cup away from the cup side walls for maximum contact on all sides with the water in the cup. Also, there have been attempts to provide such an infusion bag in an inexpensive and easily manufactured package. Many of these attempts, however, have not been commercially successful.